2 Samuel 18:19-23 19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.” 20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.” 21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The man bowed and ran off. 22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.” “Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.” 23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged. Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian. Have you ever had news to tell someone else that you thought was good, but it wasn’t received that way? I remember telling a coworker that the project they were worried about being given to them, was actually given to someone else. I thought my coworker would be relieved and even high-five me for lightening his load. But in reality, though he was nervous about the project he was excited about the opportunity to prove to his boss what he could really do...  Read More

2 Samuel 18:16-18 16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. 17 They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes. 18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day. Joab, the soldier, was quick to end the resolution. He blows the ram's horn to signify that the war is over. He has no lost love for Absalom. Despite the king’s wishes, he has not only killed Absalom, he buries him quickly, sending the message to those that sided with Absalom that their end will be similar if they don’t surrender...  Read More

2 Samuel 18:13-15 13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.” 14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. 15 Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. We don’t know the name of the soldier who obeyed the king’s wishes and chose not to harm his son, Absalom. Whenever he comes up, he’s just a man. But he is loyal to David. Meanwhile, Absalom is stuck in a tree. It might seem strange that he got caught up by his hair, but in 2 Samuel 14, we’re told that not only was Absalom handsome, his hair was so thick that he’d cut it every month and the cut hair would weigh five pounds (as a bald man, that’s just bragging). So his hair was thick, and as he was trying to escape, he got tangled up in a tree...   Read More

2 Samuel 18:9-12 9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. 10 One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.” 11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt” 12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ In this chapter, we are in the midst of a civil war between King David and those loyal to him, and his son Absalom, who has tricked many of the Israelites into supporting him as a new king. So how did we get here? After Amnon’s death, Absalom flees Hebron to Geshur. Geshur is about 250-300 miles away from Hebron, so he is now a good, “safe” distance away from any retribution from his father, the king. After two years, David allows Absalom to return to Hebron, but he doesn’t want to see him; not yet. His feelings are still complicated. He knows what Amnon did was wrong, but he still grieves Amnon. And he loves and wants to reconcile with Absalom, but will that make it look like he no longer grieves Amnon? Meanwhile, Absalom continues to allow his hatred for Amnon’s act to consume him. He has now named his daughter Tamar, after his sister that Amnon raped...  Read More

This content may be difficult for some in your group to process together. Be sure to let your group know the topic before you meet, and give permission to anyone to bow out if they are concerned about being triggered, or who simply don’t want to talk through this particular story. What are some of the stories from Scripture that you struggle to understand, have questions about, or wish you had some sort of answer for that you currently don’t?  Read More

2 Samuel 13:34b-39 34…Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.” 35 “Look” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.” 36 They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. 37 And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 38 He stayed there in Geshur for three years. 39 And King David, now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom. I know this story doesn’t mention Tamar again after she goes to Absalom’s house where we are told she lived desolate, or ruined. However, as a father to a daughter, I like to imagine that David went to Tamar and tried to console her and love her back to a place of healing and hope. That’s what I like to believe happened...  Read More